This site is a collection of articles on subjects that may be of interest to researchers.. They are all copyrighted, however abstracting and quoting
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El Diente – A Hard Mountain in the San Juan Range
El Diente is not often climbed and indeed it has its challenges. We liked the south ridge approach from the Kilpacker trailhead. From that direction the view of El Diente is impressive and the Kilpacker Basin is a feast for the eyes.

Capitol Peak is undoubtedly the standard bearer of all the fourteeners in Colorado. It features a very long boulder hike/climb to a sub-summit called K2 at 13,688’ followed by a knife-edge ridge crawl to the Capitol summit cap. The final push is a 550’ Class 4 climb to summit.

Mt. Elbert at 14,440’ is the tallest in the State of Colorado, but one of the easiest to walk up. It is usually many hikers’ first tall peak. I first climbed it in 2002, loved it, but didn’t do a second 14er until 2009. Then in 2016 as prep for harder mountains I did it again.

Crestone Needle is generally recognized as being in the top 5 in climbing difficulty of all the Colorado 14ers. It is characterized by sustained Class 3 rock climbing (for hours) although on rock that is unusually climber-friendly.

“Crestone Peak, or “The Peak” as known among many climbers, is one of the “double-black diamond” 14ers for climbers. It and its companion fourteener, Crestone Needle were the last of all the fourteeners to be scaled back in the 1920’s. This remote and rugged mountain was once thought impossible to climb.”

We went at this mountain from the closed Jennings Creek trailhead, avoiding the erosion causing the closure. Early-season climbing into snow – and finally discovering the “right way” to summit. Celebrating with Walter Hansel Pinot Noir at the Peak.

Climbing North Maroon with Andy Mishmash changes a dangerous climb into pure joy. This peak is notorious for casualties but with care watching for loose rock and someone experienced in route finding, North Maroon becomes one of the most beautiful fourteener climbs. The views on the way up and from summit are stunning

Mt. Eolus is a more challenging 14er in the San Juan Range accessible only by the 130 year old Denver & Rio Grande narrow-gauge train and then backpacking to the Chicago Basin. This mountain features a narrow, exposed “Catwalk” and some good Class 3 rock climbing.

To avoid the busy and rough Lake Como Road and the crowds at Lake Como camp-sites we followed an alternate route from South Zapata Lake. The route to summit was long, rocky, loose and cold on the shady side of the peak. We did get to see Big Horn Sheep for my 1st sighting.

Starting in Lake City, a Colorado classic western town in the San Juan Range; Hiking, climbing from the American Basin, a caldera left over from the volcanic activity millions of years ago making for a picturesque and very snowy day.

These were two great mountains in the Sangre de Cristos. This was a 15 hour day including backpacking out to the trailhead. At the Kit Carson summit, the Crestones (Peak and Needle) hovered behind us as if to say: “Try me, we get even more difficult”

Mount Massive is the third highest peak in the lower 48 states framing Leadville, CO which is the highest city in the United States. Massive is a huge mountain with five summits over 14,000’ We climbed it from the North Halfmoon Creek trailhead.
We saw the rare white Marmot all grown up from the juvenile we saw on an earlier climb.

Mt. Belford and Mt. Oxford are two fourteeners in the Sawatch Range that includes the Collegiates near Buena Vista. We decided to climb these two peaks under the light of the first full moon of summer, called the “Super Moon” since it is when the moon is closest to earth and hence appears at its largest.

A solo attempt in 2009 redone in 2013 to nab both peaks. Castle and Conundrum are fourteeners visible from home. Unique among most mountain routes, snow fields are present well into the summer on the descent from this pair affording uphill trekking with crampons and fun downhill glissading with ice ax arrests.

Two fourteeners near Buena Vista in the Collegiates subset of the Sawatch Range. Mt. Harvard is a delight especially from campsite near tree line, but Columbia was as loose, steep and ugly as any fourteener.

Quandary Peak is one of the most popular mountains to hike, a Class One “walk-up.” Rocky the Australian Terrier summited for the first time. He’s the grandson of “the fourteener dog” Emme who, after 17 summits has passed the age of 12.

The Maroon Bells near Aspen are generally recognized as the most photographed peaks in North America, especially during Fall colors. Climbing them is an adventure – a mix of pleasures – Class 3 rock climbing, dealing with a notoriously loose mountian, a very long approach slope and narrow ledges.

Pyramid Peak near Aspen, one of the most challenging fourteeners with its narrow ledges, Leap of Faith, Class 4 Green Wall and the impressive Amphitheater; climbed during fall aspen colors with climbing expert Andy Mishmash.

Mt. Shavano with its Angel of Shavano gully is the flagship fourteener associated with the town of Salida: the “angel” can be seen with arms raised insdie the yellow circle. Also in this article are pragmatic mountain weather forecasting notes mainly using cloud formations.

Sunlight Peak is great rock climbing fun and in the most beautiful Range in Colorado. It is accessed from Chicago Basin which is accessed by a 7 mile backpack after riding an historic narrow-gauge train ride and jumping off between Durango and Silverton.

Culebra Peak is the only privately-owned fourteener. It is accessed from San Luis, only 8 miles from the New Mexico border. The town, formed in 1851, has the striking "Chapel of All Saints and a world-famous shrine called Stations of the Cross.

Little Bear Peak – standard route judged to be the most difficult standard route of all Colorado fourteeners, and I learned why. Accessible up the worst road in Colorado. We ran into a bear raid and a snowstorm to boot – a multiple adventure.

Redcloud and Sunshine Peaks, both fourteeners in the San Juan Range, can be done together, but the only way down is to climb Redcloud again on the return. A long day, 12 miles and 4,800' elevation gain. Emme, the amazing Australian Terrier, did all three summits, 9 ½ hours effort and she's 10 ½ years old.

Mt. Evans is the closest and one of the most visible peaks to Denverites. It has a paved road to within 130’ of the summit, the highest in North America.
However the climbing approach to the Mt. Evans summit takes the more circuitous and challenging route that summits Mt. Bierstadt first, then traverses a ridge called the Sawtooth all the way to the Sawtooth.

Uncompahgre Peak from the Nellie Creek trailhead is not difficult, but a great day’s outing with sheer beauty all around. The San Juans sport some of the most beautiful mountain scenery of all the ranges in Colorado, although no single mountain would rival the Maroon Bells for volume of photo count.

An Aspen Times article announced that Emme, our Australian Terrier, was going to attempt four of the state’s peaks over 14,000’ as a fundraiser for the Animal Aspen Shelter and the Canine Health Foundation. She succeeded.summiting Mt. Democrat, Mt. Cameron, Mt. Lincoln & Mt. Bross all in one day.

Yale Mountain is one of the Collegiates in the Sawatch Range accessed from Buena Vista just over Independence Pass from Aspen. I was joined by our Australian Terrier Emme and son Brett, his dog Amos. Emme, at 20 lbs and short terrier legs – was to go on to hike/climb 17 fourteeners, raising funds for the Aspen Animal Shelter.

Other Climb Stories

Mt. Daly is on the other side of the saddle from Capitol Peak. It is one of the most visible mountains to those traveling between Aspen and Snowmass. While not a 14er, it is a named 13er with a fun Class 3 ridge-crest climb that is less frequently done. There is also not much written about the best way up, solved here in this story.

Twining Peak, 13,711’ near Aspen, Class 2 and dog-friendly. Also called Blue Peak, it is approached on a largely unmarked route that summits Blarney Peak first in order to access a saddle and ridge to Twining. Emme and Alfie, Australian Terriers made the summit with us.

Mt. Sopris is the icon of the Aspen/Roaring Fork Valley – Happy Birthday to Brett Crandall!
This has some route detail since there is not much Mt. Sopris route information that I could find.
While not a fourteener, it is a big mountain from bottom to top!

“Listen to a selection of O-Roll music played on the Coinola SO – scroll down, click on any tune or sheet music cover” The history of the development of Coinola machines and the O-Roll format can be found at http://www.rickcrandall.net/a-nickel-for-music-in-the-early-1900s-evolution-of-the-american-orchestrion/ . The O-roll was introduced in 1913. It features perforations for extra instruments plus a […]

The complete catalog of all 933 music rolls ever originally produced by Hupfeld for the Phonoliszt-Violina: Catalog Sorted by Roll Number Catalog Sorted by Composer. Also provided is the catalog of the 250 rolls chosen from over 20 collections and museums – and recut with the goal of producing the "reference set" of music for the PV.

The heyday of American coin-operated automatic music instruments was from 1898 – 1928. Perforated-paper music rolls were an important medium for national distribution of music including blues, jazz, rags and dance tunes. The Coinola SO “super orchestrion,” rare today, was the pinnacle of American-made music machines playing the highly-acclaimed Columbia and Capitol O-roll arrangements.

Phonoliszt-Violina: In the 1900 to 1930's the automatic music machine replaced live performers accelerated by union pressures for uneconomic rates for performers. Many types of player pianos, orchestrions, and violin and banjo players) grew rapidly as an early musical media for playing music in commercial locations and homes.

The Peerless line of coin-op player pianos, nickelodeons and orchestrions were the earliest roll-operated coin-operated music machines on the market; Companies involved were the Roth & Engelhardt Co., Peerless Piano Player Co., National Music Roll Co., Engelhardt Seybold Co. and Engelhardt Piano Company.

The Automatic Harp invented by J.W. Whitlock and popularized by the Wurlitzer Company. Whitlock was a classic American inventor, business leader and entrepreneur who became the heart and soul of Rising Sun, Indiana in the early 1900’s. His life, his inventions, his boat-racing competitions on the Ohio River and his businesses are described in a storied life pursuing the American Dream. The Harp is an early automatic music machine that helped spread ragtime as a national music...

The Gabel Automatic Entertainer dates to 1905 and is the very first disc record-changing multi-selection phonograph invented by John Gabel; His Automatic Machine and Tool Company competed with Victor in massive patent fights that Gabel finally won. The Entertainer took first in several Exposition competitions for tone quality including over Victor and others. This article includes important disclosures from the diary that John Gabel kept while he was doing his inventing of both...

1910 German-made mechanical orchestra shipped through newly-opened Panama Canal to Nevada City, California to play in a gold rush saloon owned by Ernie Schreiber. Named the Popper Felix orchestrion, it has extensive instrumentation for playing classical as well as popular music. Uncovered by Rick Crandall, restored by Hayes McClaren and now in the Jim Krughoff collection.

The Encore Automatic Banjo is one of the first commercialized automatic coin-op music machines in1897. It operated from a perforated paper roll controlled in similar fashion to player pianos. This article is based on original company records of the American Automusic Company and the Auto-Manufacturing Company.

John Gabel: His personal account of immigrating to America, overcoming great odds; his role creating the gaming machines that fueled the early growth of the Mills Novelty Company (the Klondyke, Monte Carlo, Kalamazoo and The Owl). Then in 1897 he started his own company, the Automatic Machine & Tool Company, inc. rising to success creating and selling coin-op gambling, music and automatic vending machines.

Pelstar, LLC: 97 Years of evolution from the original invention of the Health o meter™ doctor’s beam scale.
In 2016 Pelstar was honored with the Private Company Board of the Year Award, growing at triple the market rate and achieving top market share in the Americas while practicing exceptional Board and Company governance.
Rick Crandall, Executive Chairman

James Ritty invention of the cash register 1878; Incorruptible Cashier; Cash Recording Machine first cash register; National Cash Register Company (NCR) founded by John Patterson, history of marketing; Thomas Watson Sr. fired from NCR, founded IBM based on International Time Recording Company & Computer-Tabulating-Recording; Rick Crandall and Sam Robins authors. Out of print but some available: Purchase at http://www.rickcrandall.net/shop-3/

Created by Charles Fey circa 1907 and followed by Caille in 1911, both seeking a departure from the onslaught of 3-reel slot machines. Fancy graphics and interesting play kept this machine in the lineup for over a decade.

The 1890's: Pioneering risk-takers defined by the California Gold Rush; battle-tested by the 1906 earthquake; Charlie Fey invents the Liberty Bell slot machine creating an industry that persists to this day.

History of computer software and services; competition with IBM, history of Adapso advocacy; formation and growth of ADAPSO; Non-tariff trade barriers; software as a distinct industry; software international balance of payments; example of ADAPSO helping ComShare transition to a software company

Brett and Rick on a dive adventure beginning with the tail end of Typhoon Haiyen and then featuring sharks, mantas, caves, wrecks, a lake with 5 million jellyfish and the elusive but astonishing Mandarin fish.
We were on a live-aboard, the Ocean Hunter I, a small boat well-suited to our quest for adventure.

Near the tip of South America, highly sculptured towers and horns emerging abruptly from the pampas. 65 miles of hiking accomplishing the “W” signature series to the Italian, French and British camps where climbers have attempted these fearsome towers mostly unsuccessfully due to freezing cold, incessant high winds and challenging climbing.

Nat Crandall in the historic 45th (Thunderbird) Division landing at Anzio Beach; following Patton across France; crossing the Siegfried Line; Bronze star heroics; fighting the German Winter Elite troops, Dachau liberation – and the saving, restoring and putting back into service of Holocaust Torah Scrolls.

Brett and Rick:
The Galapagos’ remote islands of Wolf and Darwin has some of the most exciting “big fish” diving with Galapagos Sharks, Orcas, Sea Lions, hundreds of Hammerhead sharks and the biggest fish in the ocean – the Whale Shark.

The famous carver, Duane Pasco studied the original carving styles of the Pacific Northwest from pre-1900 and re-discovered a nearly lost art. He created this pole in the authentic style and now teaches authentic carving to the native carvers in the Northwest. Includes mythical stories of Thunderbird, Frog, Dolphin and more.